Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018

The trends, the tech, the future.

The AI battles began the minute you stepped into town. Google, Apple and Amazon are all battling for integration into everything while manufacturers gamble on which technologies to weave into their connected, voice controlled products. The promise of Artificial Intelligence: increased productivity, increased revenue, decreased operating costs, are too valuable to pass up. We’re curious to see if one platform becomes standard, or how the system wars will ultimately play out. You’d better believe we’re staying tuned.

First thing seen on the monorail... let the AI battle begin!

Building #trust with #AI.

Self-learning, hands-free home automation from Viaroom Home.

The plan seems to be to work with all the leading digital assistants: Alexa, Google, Apple

Artificial Intelligence is being integrated into manufacturing automation, this movement is being dubbed ‘Industry 4.0’.

Samsung and Roku are working on their own digital assistants.

The next step is making the interaction using voice control more intuitive and conversational will be the next step for these digital assistants.

A scenario where your physical interaction with a device in the future is very limited to none.

Will people grow tired of voice control and return to wanting tactile and button controls?

The artificial intelligence system at the Horizon booth is watching me... watch it.

Moen’s cloud-based, WiFi enabled shower system was announced at CES last year as a system that can pair with an iPhone to deliver a customized shower experience. This year they announced it will be Alexa and Siri enabled.

Tobii Gaming leverages eye movement to control your virtual player.

Cujo’s network-level home security system controls all devices in the home, providing security holistically, not just at the device level. We applaud their choice to make it look approachable and friendly.

Control beyond voice

The super-gorgeous Byton concept car is gesture controlled.

It's just an illusion, illusion, illusion.

While there were some clever uses and fun new augmented and virtual reality technologies at this year’s show, we’re still pretty surprised by the abundance of clunky VR glasses. For these technologies to truly have staying power and long-term relevance, more content needs to be created, especially content outside of entertainment. Solutions focused on training and navigation were interesting, but we’re still thirsting for more. New cameras for capturing VR images might open the doors for more creative amateurs to spice up the content space.

Seeing is believing- and as technologies evolve, people have consistantly increasing standards and demands for clearer, thinner, more interesting displays. This year there were several flexible OLEDs at larger scale. We couldn’t help but think, could you create an entire cabin or interior with something like this?

Royole displayed a clear cordless phone to show off their flexible sensor technology.

Pass the chicken and listen.

Listen up! Consumers’ appetite for bigger, better, clearer sound has not yet been satiated. This is an area that always has tons of new solutions for making consuming audio more enjoyable or fashionable or easier in challenging environments. It just goes to show, if you’re dishing out content with audio, be aware many consumers are very concerned with sound.

Lots of speakers from Microlab.

The EchoBox Explorer is fully open source Android OS music player made with absolutely gorgeous materials.

Plenty of wireless in-ear headphones around the show, these from Audio-Technica.

Blue’s audio equipment is focused on the details- both in sound quality and materials/finishes.

Being untethered was most certainly a theme this year, with tons of wireless headphones on display. We’re watching adoption rates and thinking about the effect on airplane cabins- will jacks still need to be integrated? Are there more novel ways to deliver on passengers’ sound delivery desires?

The Sensel Morph is a mobile, modular system for creating digital art.

Simple and beautiful speaker and record player combo from Hym Originals.

The drones all slave away.

While just a few years ago, many drones were fun novelty items, many manufacturers are now finding ways to leverage these machines for tasks that are dangerous or difficult for humans. Specialization was big this year: drones for underwater use, heavy lifting, and military applications were on display. We’re looking forward to seeing what might be next in this industry.

There’s a drone for everyone here. I’m still trying to figure out if I need one or not.

Drone fighting time with Vex Robotics.

Drones with a purpose

Nice looking autonomous package delivery drone.

Specialized heavy lifting drone has a 10’ by 10’ footprint.

The Robotix Rescue Drone is equipped with an integrated radar system that can monitor vital signs on the ground.

This fully waterproof drone from Swell Pro can take off from land or water and drop bait right to the fish.

Yamaha’s crop sprayer takes care of the dirty chemical dropping work without a pilot.

DJI is the leader of this space. It showed by the size of the booth and the amount of traffic.

Grab on to the Mix drone and have it pull you through the water- no swimming skills needed. Sublue’s underwarer drones pair functionality with fun, personality packed forms.

The relationship between toys and industrial technology has a bit of a chicken and egg relationship. With both drones and robots in particular, it’s sometimes hard to know if the inspiration came from fun or from a need for new ways of getting a job done.

PowerVision’s PowerEgg was thoughtfully designed for easy storage as much as ease of use. So smart.

Domo arigato, mister roboto.

People have been fascinated with the idea of a robot friend or helper for decades. Their dreams have certainly become reality, as demonstrated by the aisles of robots of diverse forms and functions at CES 2018. Many have been designed with a human form, but none are truly human-like... do people want their robots to be uber-human or more machine? Many manufacturers have made efforts to make the interaction with robots more familiar, with human-like expressions, but is that enough? In what situations would people prefer or completely reject a robot substitute? Delivering drinks on board? Teaching class? Directing traffic?

Once upon a time, (a few years ago), home products that connected to each other, a smartphone, and the cloud were quite novel. Now it’s all but assumed that your new thermostat, coffee maker and refrigerator will have the option of being smart and connected. So what’s missing? We think some originality. So many of these solutions have no personality and look no different from their myriad competitors. Also, now that just about everything in the home can be connected, we have our eyes on how all of this data will interact and become more useful- beyond the home, to cities and even countries. How will interactions and experiences in other places beyond the home (the airport) connect to these ecosystems as well? Welcome to the Data Days.

Beam’s personal telepresence robot allows you to be there and make eye contact... sort of.

The LaunDroid promises to take the dreaded clothes folding chore off your hands.

Futuristic robot meets classic Astroboy.

Pretty amazing tech, folks.

Every area in and around your house will soon be smart.

Many manufacturers seems to be trying to decide if connected home technologies should blend in or stand out.

So many systems, so little differentiation.

A fridge that does everything but go to the store for you...

Do people want robots to look human-like or not? While none look super realistic, many bear some similarity in form or attempt to ‘show emotion’, but is that enough to form a connected feeling with a robot?

More human than ever.

Sanbot’s Max is lauded as your new favorite coworker, designed to perform in multiple business scenarios.

Ford and Qualcomm then ask the other big question: where is the line between privacy and smarts?

Beyond smart cities, expect smart countries.

A smart backpack for bikers from Royole signals the rider’s intention- look! No hands!

The BHyve allows you to ‘water smart’, controlling watering with your smartphone based on the ecological needs of your lawn.

smart outside the home

smart cities

Smart gardening at CES 2018.

smart countries

Smart everything ushers in a new era : the data days.

Keynotes repeatedly pointed to the fact that we’re in or moving into the Data Era: the next natural step following the Connected Era. The smart devices developed during the last handful of years are now out there now capturing massive amounts of data; “connected” seems to be assumed. Today’s question seems to be, who does something with all that data to make sense of it? Will and can it be aggregated and processed to make some meaningful impact?

Blue cadet three, do you connect?

So how on earth is all of this data going to be transmitted at increasingly faster speeds, especially for technologies like virtual reality, augmented reality, smart cities and the like? How will it stay secure? How will it scale for the growing, intensive data activities of connected devices and ecosystems? Some new technologies are available and we’re sure we’ll continue to see more advances. And you can bet we’re staying ‘connected’ to these movements.

Nice infographic explaining the increased speed enabled by 5G.

LiFi... will it replace some WiFi?

Ford’s presentation on the Connected Vehicle to Everything was stunning. Insightful and made you think deeply about this movement.

But really, props to Ford and Dominos for focusing on what really matters... autonomous vehicles for pizza delivery.

This panel discussion raised questions about whether these systems should be open or closed for developers. There are still really big questions to be answered in this space.

Here in my car.

At least some of us thought we’d be zipping to work in our Jetson-like flying vehicles by now, but driverless cars may be even more exciting. This dynamic space is developing quickly and is now at the point where big questions about security, scaling and big picture connectivity are being actively addressed. This industry is also particularly exciting in how it fits into the larger connected city/country picture and even how this autonomy will translate into other transportation experiences, like flight.

I get around, round, get around, I get around.

Getting from here to there can be a lot more fun than just hopping in your car, putting it in drive and steering around town. It’s interesting to see the focus on experience and mode of power.

Everyone at CES should get a SwagTron USA #hoverboard to cover the conference floor.

Honda’s focus at CES was around multiple robots working together to ‘make life better’, dubbed 3E. The robots, delivering on diverse mobility needs, were designed with empowerment, empathy and experience at the forefront.

What’s old is new again? The Electron wheel makes your regular bike an electric one in 30 seconds.

The 06GEN is a low speed autonomous mobility system.

The MOTOROiD proof-of-concept model senses the rider while autonomously transporting him

Ford’s Ojo electric commuter scooter can go 25 miles on a single charge... wouldn’t be too practical for Chicago winters though.

Segway’s space had loads of mobility solutions on display. The company’s sharp focus on transportation for lifestyle and recreational riders was emphasized at this year’s CES.

There’s a new kid in town! The Now Generation, comprised of people ages 15-25, are poised to take over the world... well, eventually. This massive group is expected to make up 1/3 of the global population by 2020, and if you haven’t taken a look at them yet, you’d better tune in. They aren’t Millennials and they certainly aren’t X’ers or Boomers, and their interests and buying behaviors are quite unique.

Generations matter.

Baby Boomers

Gen X

Gen Y

Millennials

Now Generation

Individuality is not a driver.

They value access over ownership.

The Now Generation will make up 1/3 of the global population by 2020.

This generation is consuming entertainment and media differently than other generations.

Airfrance’s forward-looking ‘Junior Lab’ event sought to see the travel experience through this generation’s eyes.

If you want to charge a premium price, look to deliver convenience.

"Assistance is really the new battleground for growth. As expectations of the empowered consumer continue to rise, the most assistive brands will win."

--Google President of the Americas Allan Thygesen, opening remarks for a panel discussion at 2018 CES

Smart dressed man.

Just a few years ago, the wearables section of our annual CES report was absolutely massive. Step counters and heart rate monitors in every form inundated the show and the populations’ wrists. Now that herd has thinned, wearables are getting a bit more interesting and useful in terms of form and function. A notable trend is the movement away from wearables looking like technology, and either integrating into existing clothing or looking like traditional, unconnected jewelry.

Wearables for very specific industrial reasons are fresher than the now-common step counters.

Make clothes you already have smart instead of buying new stuff with integrated solutions.

Smart watches that look like traditional fare is what’s in now. What’s old is new once again.

The Willow breast pump is a wireless pump with no attachments and no hanging bottles. A truly life-changing wearable. Bravo, Willow.

Here's to you and your health and happiness.

Health and fitness has been a large focus of CES for well more than a decade now. There’s a recent shift toward digital health solution providers to quantify their impact on wellness beyond just delivering fairly raw health data. This seems to be a function of trying to build trust from consumers, pointing to statistics and science versus ambiguous information.

A big focus this year for medical tech at CES is quantification of IoT’s health benefits. Cue big data.

The Manesphere delivers Magnetic Resonance Therapy, enhancing feelings of relaxation. Linked to the HaloBeat™ IOS app, real-time measurements of the user’s Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and other aspects of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) are provided for insights into effectiveness.

Peloton does it again, this time with a treadmill. Beautifully designed machine connected to a system that makes you keep coming back for more (and paying more each month for the paired subscription service).

Given the state of the country’s opioid crisis, it was good to see tech being leveraged to ease pain without meds.

Choose your own adventure from Hivox: pain relief or building bulk.

Tech targeting non-medicinal pain relief

You're getting verrrry sleepy.

Ready for this at bedtime?

Muse combines IoT tech with meditation to help us find our zen.

Put me in coach, I'm ready to play!

Sports and technology are inextricably linked; data, statistics, and excitement-packed entertainment are at the heart of both. There were plenty of exciting and interesting new products for improving performance or enjoyment. We wonder if some of the technology developed for athletes can be translated elsewhere, for example, aiding with circulation while flying. The crossover between industries during product development can be the component that drives market success.

Turner Sports, whose focus is on delivering coverage on major sporting events across a wide variety of media, had a big presence, participating in live events and keynotes.

Fitlight’s wireless reaction training system aims to help improve athletic performance by delivering analytics real-time to the athlete and trainer.

The Halo Neuroscience Halo Sport stimulates the part of the brain responsible for muscle movement. The headset delivers neuropriming, which is the process of using electrical stimulation during movement-based training to build stronger, more optimized connections between the brain and muscles, improving athletic performance.

Prevent Biometrics’ smart mouth guard monitors and records head impact, and most importantly, alerts connected team personnel when a wearer is in need of assessment.

I come alive when you charge me up.

Keeping the devices clipped to our clothes, under our hoods and in our entertainment devices charged is certainly a challenge. Everything is expected to be done right now- communication, information gathering, etc., and stopping to plug in is just not an acceptable option anymore. Longer battery life, wireless charging, and new ways of harvesting power are (and should be) on the forefront of every electronic device developer.

Wi-Charge technology delivers power over distances using infrared beams of light, here powering trains without batteries..

The Gogoro by Panasonic’s lithium ion battery design allows you to exchange batteries instead of filling up on gas.

The Jaq Hybrid fuel cell and battery.

Will it finally take off? More and more signs of it.

A few intriguing power solutions from Power-Tech.

Wireless charging

Work it / Make it / Do it / Make us /

Harder / Better / Faster / Stronger

Is the future of manufacturing more local, with more freedom to build in real-time, on site? We’re always looking at this area, seeking more sophisticated material options and advancing methodologies. It will be interesting to see if this will ultimately affect overseas sourcing.

Handheld robot play 3D pen from Poloroid: Caution: not for engineering use.

As we walked the most prestigious and tech-packed expo in the world, we couldn’t help but chuckle every so often at the simple, unconnected, and ‘old school’ processes around us. Does this mean that no matter how much tech is at our fingertips, humans will always desire some tactile, simple and retro experiences?

High tech conference, low tech security labels.

Digital conference, analog notes.

When will battery tech advance enough that it keeps pace with our needs?